Police make arrest over fatal Toronto mall shooting

People observe a moment of silence at a candlelight vigil at Dundas Square in Toronto on Sunday after a shooting across in nearby Eaton Centre shopping mall left one dead and at least six others wounded.

By msnbc.com staff and news services

A suspect has been arrested over the shooting at a downtown Toronto shopping mall that left one man dead and at least six others wounded on the weekend, police said on Monday.

The man handed himself in to police in the early hours, Canada's CTV reported.

Police said on Sunday they believed they knew the identity of the shooter and said the victim, 24-year-old Toronto resident Ahmed Hassan, may have had some gang affiliation.

The shooting occurred Saturday evening at the Eaton Centre, one of Toronto's top tourist destinations. It shocked Canada's largest city, which has a reputation as one of the safest in North America.

CTV said the injured included a 13-year-old boy who suffered a gunshot wound to the head. He was listed in critical but stable condition at the Hospital For Sick Children, it said.

“Our investigation clearly suggests that this is a targeted shooting and not a random act of violence against the members of the general public," Brian Borg, a Toronto police detective, said in a media briefing on Sunday.

"Whether this is a gang-motivated shooting has not been definitively determined. But I can say it is being closely looked at given that at least one of the victims has known gang associations."

The incident revived memories of another shooting close to Eaton Centre on Dec. 26, 2005, when a 15-year-old girl was killed and several other people were wounded. That shooting was also believed to be gang-related.

Canada has stringent controls on handguns and a lower rate of gun-related violence than the United States.